The South Arkansas Arts Center invites the public to view a new exhibit by contemporary landscape artist Mary Louise Porter, entitled “Rhythms and Reflections”. This beautiful and colorful exhibition will hang in the Price and Merkle Galleries October 1-27, with an artist’s reception on October 2, from 6:00-7:30pm.
Now living and working in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, Porter has deep roots in Arkansas and Louisiana. She received a BFA and MFA in painting from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. Her work represents a journey of memories and images drawn from landscapes seen in her travels, as well as experienced in the American South where she was born and raised. Each work of art captures the emotion and beauty of the location.
“Some people are born to sing, play an instrument, or write. I was born to be a painter. I have always known what I wanted to do in life: create,” said Porter. “As a contemporary landscape painter I experiment with colors, lines, and shapes abstracting from reality to create my own contemporary landscape style. Inspiration is drawn from common areas such as patterns of the clouds, vibrant colors of the sky, reflections on water, barren trees, textures, and vivid color patterns. I work with acrylic, paper, plaster and other mediums to engage the viewer emotionally as well as visually in my paintings. Creativity and inspiration is the basis of my paintings.”
Porter’s artwork has been selected to represent Northwest Louisiana in John R. Kemp’s book “Expression of Place, The Contemporary Louisiana Landscapes”. Porter was also featured in the November 2014 “Louisiana Life” magazine, with emphasis on her life and artwork in Louisiana. She has participated innumerous artist residencies across the US and Costa Rica. Her work is also included in a number of galleries, and other public and private collections nationwide. Louisiana State Exhibit Museum in Shreveport has one of her largest paintings “Louisiana Vibrations Red River Valley” in their permanent collection. The Alexandria Museum of Art in Alexandria, Louisiana, has a painting from one of her storm series, “Storms Coming”, in its permanent collection, and The University of Arkansas in Monticello, Arkansas, has recently added her installation of paintings entitled “Venus” to its permanent collection. More information is also available on Porter’s website at www.mlporterfineart.com.
For Porter, the creation of a new piece of artwork is a journey, rather than a destination. “The beginning of a painting is always mysterious to me,” she said. “A painting develops for me, unraveling the composition, as the colors, line, shapes, and texture seems to emerge on the canvas.”
Gallery viewing hours are Monday – Friday, 9-5pm. For more information on this exhibit, please call the SAAC office at 870-862-5474 or visit the website at www.saac-arts.org. SAAC is located at 110 East Fifth Street, El Dorado, Arkansas.
